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J.P. Richardi on 'Hot Stove Show'

No Stephen Drew in New York? J.P. Richardi Says Mets Happy with Ruben Tejada as Shortstop

Appearing on the ‘Hot Stove Show’ with Rob Bradford and John McDonald Thursday night, Mets special assistant J.P. Ricciardi said his team is happy with heading into the 2014 with Ruben Tejada as their shortstop.

The Mets had been identified as a possible landing spot for free agent Stephen Drew, who remains unsigned. The Red Sox have been waiting for Drew to identify his market before coming in with a definitive offer to return.

“I think we are,” said Ricciardi when asked if the Mets were happy with heading into 2014 with the 24-year-old Tejada. ‘He’s a young player. As Johnny can tell you, a lot of young players who get to play at the big league level early in their career, a lot of them don’t realize how hard it is to play every day. A lot of them don’t realize what it takes to play every day. I think in Ruben’s case, he got a lot early in his career and I think he’s starting to realize that he has to work a lot harder than he has in the past, and he has. To his credit, he really has. But as a young player, they get to the big leagues, some things happen for them and they forget how tough it is to stay there. I think he’s at that stage in his career. I think next year he’s going to be a better player than he was this previous year.”

Without getting into specifics regarding Drew, Ricciardi did say that the shortstop market appears thin right now, with most teams having settled on their starters.

“Sometimes there’s just supply and demand and I think right now there’s just not a lot of demand for shortstops,”¯ the former Blue Jays general manager said. “It’s funny how it works. Sometimes there’s a lot of opportunities for free agents, but sometimes the market is a little bit of a stonewall. I think in this case there’s a lot of shortstops that are already in place.”

Another obstacle for Drew remains the need for any team (other than the Red Sox) to surrender a draft pick if they sign the shortstop. Ricciardi, however, doesn’t buy into the notion that draft pick compensation should prevent a team from targeting a desired free agent. (The Mets gave up a second-round pick for signing Curtis Granderson earlier this offseason.)

“One of the things that is happening in baseball right now, that I scratch my head with it young players are so overvalued right now, and I think falls in with the draft picks, too. Listen, I get it. No one builds through the draft. You add through the draft,” Ricciardi said. “You can’t build a team through the draft because they just don’t all work out. But you can supplement your system, and I get all that. But if you’re telling me I have a chance to get Curtis Granderson over a second round pick I think I’m going to take my chances with a proven major league player as opposed to maybe a high school or college kid that may or may not become Curtis Granderson.

‘Hindsight is 20-20 and we can all go back and look at guys where they were drafted and what happened to them, but in the end, the major league players, the proven major league player, has a lot more value to me than the Double A kid, the Triple A kid or even the kid who is drafted. I wouldn’t hesitate to give up a draft pick. If I’m the Houston Astros or a club like that who is still building, I might not be as engaged to do it. But if I’m a club that is looking to get closer to being good, I might be more inclined to do it.’

If we don't upgrade at ss I don't understand what the point of signing colon and granderson was. I don't care who it is or how we do it we need a better shortstop than tejada. Yet all sandy is doing is screwing around asking for the moon for Ike where he's clearly not going to get it.

“One of the things that is happening in baseball right now, that I scratch my head with it young players are so overvalued right now, and I think falls in with the draft picks, too. Listen, I get it. No one builds through the draft. You add through the draft,” Ricciardi said. “You can’t build a team through the draft because they just don’t all work out.

The Mets for example cannot say they are going to rebuild around Smith, Cecchini, and Nimmo for example because the chances of them being above replacement level players is what, 20%? Thhose are not good odds. It could take a decade to stockpile quality MLB players only through the draft. JP is also saying is that it's worth risking the 20% chance to gain an above replacement level player for an established MLB player. And I agree. Of course it depends on which prospect for which player. I doubt he means he would trade Syndergaard for a 4th OFer.

But of course it's easier to throw mud.

Last edited by Dugmet; 12-28-2013 at 02:40 AM.

“The Wilpons and Mr. Saul Katz — the people who say they don’t care about the team are sorely misguided,” Ojeda told the newspaper. “These are the biggest Mets fans you will meet."

The Mets for example cannot say they are going to rebuild around Smith, Cecchini, and Nimmo for example because the chances of them being above replacement level players is what, 20%? Thhose are not good odds. It could take a decade to stockpile quality MLB players only through the draft. JP is also saying is that it's worth risking the 20% chance to gain an above replacement level player for an established MLB player. And I agree. Of course it depends on which prospect for which player. I doubt he means he would trade Syndergaard for a 4th OFer.

But of course it's easier to throw mud.

Yeah I don't think he was talking about building through the draft in a vacuum either. He presumably meant that building a winning team predominantly through the draft is not plausible because of the rate of prospect failure and how long even in the best case scenarios it takes. It's all about weighing things accordingly and to be fair the draft has value but sometimes is overvalued. Ricciardi said it during the interview "But if you’re telling me I have a chance to get Curtis Granderson over a second round pick I think I’m going to take my chances with a proven major league player as opposed to maybe a high school or college kid that may or may not become Curtis Granderson."

There's nothing wrong with that statement. What GM, unless in the beginning of a rebuild (which is a team he referenced in the Astros), is going to take the 2nd round pick over a guy like Granderson if he fits one of their more immediate needs?

It's about context and like Dug said they aren't going to move one of their upper echelon prospects for a 4th OF. He'll be used to acquire a star player or get his opportunity at the major league level to reach his potential ceiling.

Yeah, I agree with you on that. Nothing wrong with the part about Granderson, who only cost a second round pick. And Drew would only cost a third rounder. But part of the reason the market may be weak for Drew is that he's not worth giving up a first rounder for most teams right now.

And the idea that young players are being overvalued right now, I don't get. We're seeing pretty high prices in free agency for older players right now. And most good players aren't even being allowed to reach FA. With the competitive balance money today, there aren't many poorhouse teams letting good veterans go over salary costs. So that means you absolutely have to build through drafting and development.

From my point of view, prospects are maybe being valued more than they once were, but most teams are still behind the curve there.

And the idea that young players are being overvalued right now, I don't get.

Easy to understand.

Trade market. Sounds like the Mets have found it difficult to trade players on their 25-man roster for other teams' prospects. When the Mets have been able to do this, it's largely been when the other team is trying to increase their chances in post-season play: Wheeler, Herrera, Black.

Last edited by Dugmet; 12-28-2013 at 08:10 AM.

“The Wilpons and Mr. Saul Katz — the people who say they don’t care about the team are sorely misguided,” Ojeda told the newspaper. “These are the biggest Mets fans you will meet."

Yeah, I agree with you on that. Nothing wrong with the part about Granderson, who only cost a second round pick. And Drew would only cost a third rounder. But part of the reason the market may be weak for Drew is that he's not worth giving up a first rounder for most teams right now.

And the idea that young players are being overvalued right now, I don't get. We're seeing pretty high prices in free agency for older players right now. And most good players aren't even being allowed to reach FA. With the competitive balance money today, there aren't many poorhouse teams letting good veterans go over salary costs. So that means you absolutely have to build through drafting and development.

From my point of view, prospects are maybe being valued more than they once were, but most teams are still behind the curve there.

Totally agree.

The part about Granderson doesn't bother me at all, and I agree with that.

But the idea that teams don't build through the draft is ridiculous. Quality young players are the most valuable commodity in the game, and teams don't want to give those guys up.

Wouldn't pay much attention to what he's saying. He's trying to trade ML talent for these same prospects that he claims are overvalued. He's just irritated they haven't been able to rip anyone off yet.